What is it called when they use the minority to attack the majority?

[Descartes]

For example:

- You once lied.
- You are therefore a liar.

Perhaps not a very good example, but the premise is the same; they will attack a single manifestation of something as though it were a microcosm of everything else. What is this called? I first thought it was somewhat of a straw man argument, but I'm not certain. It happens a lot in arguments, because someone will take one instance out of many to negate all else. Make sense?

 

[Njorl]

I don't know, but it is not a "stawman". A strawman is a weak argument made to be defeated. You frame your opponent's view in a weak, or even false, way that can easily be negated.

Njorl

 

[Descartes]

Originally posted by Njorl
I don't know, but it is not a "stawman". A strawman is a weak argument made to be defeated. You frame your opponent's view in a weak, or even false, way that can easily be negated.

Njorl

That's why I thought it was somewhat of a straw man, because they embellished on a single instance of something (the weak argument) to negate the entire argument. I know it's not, but that's the closest one that came to mind.

Thanks!

 

[FZ+]

Perhaps it's just hasty generalisation?
http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/hasty-generalization.html

 

[Jeebus]

I would have said choplogic, but I think FZ+ is right.

 

[Descartes]

I believe FZ is correct, so I can now at least put a name to it when I hear the familiar argument.

Thanks all!